Category Archives: Solar Shingles

Your options for building integrated photovoltaic solar roofs have expanded with the the re-birth of POWERHOUSE solar shingles and introduction of Tesla solar tiles to compete with the BIPV solar products currently being installed.

Certainteed Apollo-2 solar shingles roof

This guide covers the currently available and newly emerging BIPV / roof integrated PV (RIPV) solar shingle options, their costs, availability in specific markets within the US, and pros and cons of each option.

Cost

The table below includes the cost info and availability details for the top four leading RIPV competitors:

Product

Cost per sq.ft.

Cost per watt*

2,750 sq.ft. roof

CertainTeed Apollo II Shingle

$11.45 – $13.10

$4.20 – $4.80

$31,487 – $36,025

CertainTeed Apollo II Tile

$17.40 – $18.25

$6.38 – $6.69

$47,850 – $50,187

Dow PowerHouse

$11.00 – $11.85

Est. $4.15

$30,025 – $32,587

SunTegra Shingle

$10.35 – $11.60

$3.80 – $4.25

$28,462 – $31,900

SunTegra Tile

$16.80 – $17.75

$6.16 – $6.51

$46,200 – 48,812

Tesla Solar Tile

$22.00 – $26.00

$7.85-$9.00

$60,500 – $71,500

Note: Dow PowerHouse 3.0 solar shingles from RGS should be available in Q4 2018, with nationwide rollout expected to occur gradually in 2019-2020.

* With the recent announcement of Tesla laying off 9% of its workforce, there are now some doubts as to how long you may have to wait to get your Tesla solar roof.

Note: the above figures are baseline costs (estimated). The actual costs can, in some cases, be up to 25% higher, depending on the particulars of the jobs including more complex roofs and/or in areas with high cost of living and in major coastal cities.

All costs include what is known as BOS, or balance of system, costs. These include the connectors, wiring and electrical inverter required for installation. They do not factor storage battery costs ($7,500 – $9,000 for most systems).

So, you want to invest in a new roof with the latest 21st century technology and you plan to spend some serious coin doing so.

You are intrigued by solar power, but do not want to go the route of traditional solar panel roof installation — you want something a bit more pleasing to the eye.

Here is your conundrum. Would you rather go with a company that has been in the roofing business for over 100 years and cut its teeth on asphalt shingles or the company that comes from world of high tech and never put up a roof before 2016?

To further complicate your decision-making the established roofing business is part of one the world’s largest home building products conglomerates that has been in business for over 350 years.

Tesla — the high-tech roofer?

It is part of one of the most eclectic organizations out there, whose owner is more interested in flying to outer space and boring long-distance subterranean tunnels than residential roofs.

To help you divine an answer let’s take a look at the two players in question, the Apollo II Solar Shingle Roofing System from CertainTeed and the Tesla Solar Tile Roof.

Cost

Let’s address the elephant on the roof straight away. The cost of solar in 2018 has dropped to its lowest price since tracking began in 2014 — a national average of $3.13 per watt.

As with everything measured in the solar marketplace results can vary considerably depending on location.

In some sunny locales the cost of solar is down in the $2.80 per watt ballpark. In most places homeowners can expect to spend between $15,000 and $27,000 for PV solar panels.

Tesla, whose first commercial roofs are just coming online in 2018, delivers solar for $6.40 per watt — more than double the national average.

CertainTeed does not make pricing information public. Since the Apollo II system is more complicated to install than standard solar panels, but is not a pure roofing option like Tesla, it is safe to assume its price will fall between the two poles, probably skewing towards the higher end.

Certainteed Apollo-2 solar shingles roof

In addition to the variables of climate, final solar pricing is also dependent on house size, local public utility policies, and the existence or future continuance of solar investment tax credits.

This is a good time to install solar power! The cost is dropping and technology is enabling greater efficiency – that’s more energy for less money. Plus, your options for buying, leasing, PPA (see below) are expanding, and many homeowners are getting solar installed for zero down.

Based on recent data from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the average installed solar power system costs $19,600 to $27,370.

Small Home

Average Home

Large Home

Home Size

1-2 bedrooms

3-4 bedrooms

5+ bedrooms

System Size

5-7kW

7-8.5kW

9-12kW

System Cost

$14,000 to $22,540

$19,600 to $27,370

$25,200 to $38,640

After Tax Credit

$9,800 to $15,778

$13,720 to $19,159

$17,640 to $27,048

Tax Credit: The federal tax credit is 30% through 2019, 26% in 2020 and 22% in 2021.
The program ends December 31, 2021

These figures are based on the NREL’s finding that the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems is $2.80 to $3.22 per watt (or $2,800 to $3,220 per kW). Most homes with 3 or 4 bedrooms require a 7kW to 8.5kW system to meet their demand for electricity.

PV solar panels power system: typical cost breakdown based on home size using national average figures.